Honour killing in Pakistan: Woman shot dead by father in Karachi court

Karachi: A newly-wed woman was shot dead on Monday by her father in a court here in Pakistan's port city, police said, in the latest apparent honour killing in Pakistan.

The incident happened when the woman, a resident of Pirabad in Karachi, came to the Karachi City Court to record her statement to confirm she had entered into a free-will marriage, police said.

A senior police official said that the woman belonged to Waziristan in the tribal area and had recently married a doctor in her neighbourhood.

“When she came to the city court this morning to record her statement, her father opened fire on her, killing her on the spot and injuring a policeman who is out of danger now,” Senior Superintendent of Police Shabbir Sethar said.

The accused has been arrested and the weapon used in the commission of the crime seized, he said.

“In nearly every case, the father, husband, brother, or any other male relative is behind the honour killing,” Sethar said.

The woman had left her home after marriage which angered her father, he said.

Hundreds of women are killed every year in different parts of Pakistan in the name of honour.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has reported an average of 650 honour killings annually over the past decade. But since most go unreported, the real number is likely to be much higher.